{"id":106585,"date":"2026-04-07T17:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T22:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106585"},"modified":"2026-04-07T21:37:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T02:37:15","slug":"25-year-old-peter-kuli-is-transforming-a-lincoln-square-silent-film-landmark-for-film-obsessives-and-casual-moviegoers-alike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/25-year-old-peter-kuli-is-transforming-a-lincoln-square-silent-film-landmark-for-film-obsessives-and-casual-moviegoers-alike\/","title":{"rendered":"25-year-old Peter Kuli transforming Lincoln Square silent film landmark for film obsessives, casual moviegoers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><strong>By <span class=\"TextRun SCXW180833859 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW180833859 BCX0\">Daniela Cantu<\/span><\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Medill Reports<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">With the flick of a switch, Davis Theater program director Peter Kuli casts a red, velvety glow over the 276 faux-leather, popcorn-free seats in the Tom Fencl Memorial Theater.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cWe also have some spotlights I can turn on to give the room a little\u00a0more light,&#8221; Kuli said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">With the grace of someone 20\u00a0years\u00a0his senior, Kuli navigates the hallways of the Davis as if he has spent his life there, moving with ease between the venue&#8217;s three screening rooms. When in what he calls &#8220;host mode,&#8221; Kuli said he feels like he stepped into a time machine. He ushers a guest to\u00a0a cushy\u00a0recliner, turns off the\u00a0lights\u00a0and offers a water bottle, but he chooses the movie, as he does every night.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">At 25, Kuli \u2014 the youngest programming director of an independent theater in all of Chicago \u2014 selects, curates and schedules films. He works from\u00a0the Davis\u00a0three days a week and takes on concessions or projection shifts at least once a week. According to Kuli, arthouse cinema can feel exclusive, so he tries to make Lincoln Square\u2019s only independent theater an accessible space to discover important, retrospective work. He argues cinema\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0dying; it just needs someone young enough to remember what it feels like to discover a film for the first time.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;I feel like we&#8217;re so used to movies being a sort of transactional experience,&#8221; Kuli said. &#8220;I pay $12,\u00a0I get my popcorn \u2014 there&#8217;s no face or anything to it at all. It&#8217;s all sort of under the guise of a brand.&#8221; Kuli likes to pick titles that directly reflect the neighborhood and can act as an alternative to what audiences have come to expect from a national chain.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Kuli described a childhood shaped by the arts, with formative memories involving his parents taking him to the movies or screening the films they loved on DVD and VHS. While this passion might have led the Lexington, Mass., native to his\u00a0initial\u00a0interest in cinematic programming, it was Mark Anastasio, the artistic director at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston, who pushed him over the edge.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c\u2018Wet Hot American Summer,\u2019\u201d Kuli said.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0one of his favorite comedies now. &#8220;I&#8217;d seen it a few years before and thought it was \u2026 all right.\u00a0Kind of funny. But I saw they were screening it on a night when I had nothing else to do.&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Everything changed once Anastasio took the stage. Instead of just introducing \u201cWet Hot American Summer,\u201d he invited the audience to\u00a0participate. He even hosted a mini talent show \u2014 a referential wink at a scene from the film. Then the lights dimmed, previews\u00a0played\u00a0and the film began.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;It just \u2026 clicked. I was dialed into every tone, every sensibility,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I walked out thinking: &#8216;This could be a job.&#8217; Seeing someone who could bring an entire audience together like that.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Like Anastasio, Kuli never studied film. Kuli&#8217;s BFA from Champlain College was in creative media, and Anastasio studied English literature. But the biggest surprise was their\u00a0ages. When looking at the programming directors of some of the most prominent independent cinemas in the U.S. \u2014 Brian Andreotti of the Music Box, 58; Harris Dew of the IFC Center, 55; and Bruce Goldstein of Film Forum, 73 \u2014 the age range tends to sit in the late 40s to early 50s. Kuli started programming at 24, while Anastasio started at 25.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Kuli described it as &#8220;being in the right place at the right time.&#8221; He\u00a0worked concessions\u00a0at Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Mass. before managing Merrill&#8217;s Roxy Cinema in Burlington, Vt., all while still in college. When he moved to Chicago and started in concessions at the Davis in October of 2022, he noticed issues in the\u00a0theater\u2019s\u00a0calendar that revealed a bigger problem.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;We used to be a &#8216;first-run&#8217; theater,&#8221; said Alec Peterson, 24, a manager at\u00a0the Davis. &#8220;Which, like \u2014 what&#8217;s the point? Just go to AMC.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u2018First-run\u2019 meaning that the Davis\u00a0showcases\u00a0primarily\u00a0recently released, mainstream movies \u2014 think blockbusters such as &#8220;F1,&#8221; &#8220;Avatar: Fire and Ash \u2014 &#8221; or &#8220;The Housemaid&#8221; \u2014 rather than retrospective, independent and special event screenings.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In the aftermath of the head programmer\u00a0departing\u00a0from\u00a0the Davis\u00a0in September of 2022, the responsibility of programming was on uncertain terms without a leader. Seeing an opportunity for contribution, Kuli started giving passive film and event suggestions to the higher-ups. \u201cOnce things started shifting around, I was asked to fill some of those gaps,&#8221; Kuli said. &#8220;I started working with our old booker, but it was frustrating \u2014 &#8216;first-run only.'&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">To Kuli, this approach squandered what a historic independent space could be.\u00a0He&#8217;d\u00a0moved to Chicago expecting the kind of retrospective, previously released\u00a0titles\u00a0and international programming\u00a0he&#8217;d\u00a0seen at other venues in the city, like the Music Box and the Gene Siskel Film Center, but the Davis\u00a0failed to\u00a0deliver.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In April 2024, he decided\u00a0he&#8217;d\u00a0had\u00a0enough.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cI sat down with the owners,\u201d Kuli said. \u201cI told them: \u2018This needs to change. Give all of this to me. Let me handle this.\u2019&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">His role as program director now involves communicating directly with a new booking team \u2014 where they now\u00a0showcase\u00a0both first-run titles and retrospective films.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Recent popular screenings have included Jennie Livingston&#8217;s &#8220;Paris Is Burning,&#8221; Terry Gilliam&#8217;s &#8220;Brazil&#8221; and a special series called &#8220;Trust Fall,&#8221; where moviegoers are invited to a screening built around a theme, but they\u00a0won&#8217;t\u00a0know what film is playing until the lights go down.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For repertory screenings at the century-old Davis, Kuli\u2019s girlfriend, Madison Chute, a 25-year-old video freelance editor, creates 20- to 30-minute pre-shows from archival footage and interviews.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">The faith the Davis owners put in Kuli appears to be paying off. Since he became program director,\u00a0the Davis\u00a0has seen a dramatic increase in both ticket sales and regulars, both of which slumped at the tail end of the pandemic. According to\u00a0the Davis, in 2023, attendance was down 25%, but it crept upward to 26% in 2025 and leapt up to 76% this year. Concession sales have moved similarly, up 18% in 2025 and currently at 59%.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;Folks who used to come to\u00a0the Davis\u00a0once a month or so have now made the theater an active part of their week,&#8221; Kuli said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Davis\u00a0has been owned by the Fencl family since 2001. Mary Fencl and her husband, Tom \u2014\u2014 who died in 2020 \u2014 renovated it for $4M in 2016. Tim Ryll came on\u00a0board\u00a0the year of the major restoration, which added Sojourn, the theater&#8217;s cocktail lounge. Ryll now co-owns the Davis with his wife, Brittany Ryll \u2014 who came on to the project in 2019.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing in the book that says that just because you&#8217;re young, you don&#8217;t care a lot, you&#8217;re not passionate, you&#8217;re not talented, you can&#8217;t be responsible,&#8221; Brittany Ryll said. She described the work at\u00a0the Davis\u00a0as demanding, built on curiosity and a willingness to learn. &#8220;We need young people now more than ever.&#8221;\u2019<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Daniela Cantu is a magazine specialization graduate student at Medill.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Daniela Cantu Medill Reports With the flick of a switch, Davis Theater program director Peter Kuli casts a red, velvety glow over the 276 faux-leather, popcorn-free seats in the Tom Fencl Memorial Theater.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe also have some spotlights I can turn on to give the room a little\u00a0more light,&#8221; Kuli said.\u00a0 With the grace [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1041,"featured_media":106586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,5543,5555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-msj26","category-spring-2026"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>25-year-old Peter Kuli transforming Lincoln Square silent film landmark for film obsessives, casual moviegoers - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/25-year-old-peter-kuli-is-transforming-a-lincoln-square-silent-film-landmark-for-film-obsessives-and-casual-moviegoers-alike\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"25-year-old Peter Kuli transforming Lincoln Square silent film landmark for film obsessives, casual moviegoers - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Daniela Cantu Medill Reports With the flick of a switch, Davis Theater program director Peter Kuli casts a red, velvety glow over the 276 faux-leather, popcorn-free seats in the Tom Fencl Memorial Theater.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe also have some spotlights I can turn on to give the room a little\u00a0more light,&#8221; 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